Lunch at the Bar
by TangerineFields
Summary: Sirius and Remus enjoy a moment over a pint in one of Remus' beloved Muggle pubs. RemusxSirius.


N/A: Because like Rem, I do have a bit of a perchant for Muggle pubs...

Disclaimer: Remus and Sirius are the property of the wonderful J. K. Rowling. The TV on a bracket on the wall, on the other hand, is the property of the Imperial.

**Lunch at the Bar**

"Is this seat taken?"

Remus frowned him. "Course it isn't. I've been saving it for you."

Sirius smiled, tugging the hair at the nape of his neck. "Only askin' Rem. You might have other friends I don't know about."

"Would you be jealous?"

"As hell." Sirius grinned, plonking himself down in the booth. "What you havin'?"

"I don't know." Remus glanced at the drinks list. "Cider?"

"Oh yeah, shit." Sirius smiled sheepishly. "This is a muggle pub. Muggle drinks. Right..." He scowled as he thought. "Yeah, alright…Guinness please Moons."

"I thought you were paying this time."

"I didn't make it to the bank."

"Tosser."

"Oi, bookworm. Wash your filthy mouth out."

Remus glanced up at him and smirked. "You'll never pay me back."

"Course I will!" Sirius seemed genuinely offended. "When have I ever not paid you back?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I fear we'll be booted out before I complete the list."

Sirius aimed a kick at him under the table. "Fine," he groused. "There might have been a few times. But I will this time. Swear. Marauder's honour."

"Gods, because you never defaulted on that either." Remus slid out of the booth and into the chatter of the packed pub.

"Hey, hang on, I'm not sitting here on my own. I'm gonna look like I got stood up!" Sirius glanced around furtively at the Muggles bent over conversation and beer.

"Don't be daft," Remus waved him off as he made for the steps down to the bar. "Read the menu. Write that report," he added, with a distinctly disapproving glare.

Sirius glowered at the table. On the wall above his head a TV on brackets was doling out Muggle news. Something about the Russians and Afghanistan. Sirius glanced up at the scene for a few seconds before he lost interest. Thankfully, Remus wasn't long returning.

"They don't have a clue, do they?"

Remus placed the drinks on the table, his glass clanking against a bottle of Magners. "Who? The Muggles?" He shrugged. "They've got their own concerns."

Sirius snorted. "What? Their petty little wars? This is about the world, Rem. The whole goddamn world."

"Yes," Remus stared intently at his drink as it sloshed into his glass. "I realise that, Padders."

"Sorry," Sirius took a sip of his Guinness. "I'll talk about something else."

Remus glanced up, one eyebrow raised. "Like you'll ever-" he stopped and barely suppressed a chuckle. "You've er," he laughed quietly, and gestured to his upper lip.

"Oh, shit." Sirius snorted, rubbing self-consciously at his Guinness moustache. "Better?"

"Yes," Remus smiled. Underneath the table, his foot brushed across Sirius, sending a shiver of nervous energy between them.

"Look, Rem," Sirius paused, swallowing almost imperceptibly "I'm sorry, about last night. I was, well I was a prick." He laughed despite himself and Remus had to smile. "I was too wound up in my own shit to notice you drowning in yours."

"I was not drowning!"

"You were, mate."

Remus chewed his bottom lip. "Alright. I might have been struggling a little." He shook his head, "You're forgiven, I suppose."

"Thanks," Sirius beamed. "Do I get my shag tonight then?"

"Shush!" Remus couldn't help but grin, glancing at the drinkers clustered on the tables around them. "Pub remember, not your gay bar!"

"S'not **my** gay bar!" Sirius was grinning. "Though I am on pretty good terms with the owner. You know, got a favour or two to call in." He winked suggestively at Remus, who laughed, and brushed a hand across his face.

They sank into comfortable silence for a little while. Remus seemed to be fascinated by whatever mediocre shit was on the Muggle's news, and so Sirius left him to it. He'd always wondered at Remus' obsession with places like this. Great, they were old world charmin' for sure but you weren't exactly gonna bump into a hag or two here. And Muggles, they all looked the same, all wearing pretty much identical expressions while they sipped their midday lagers. He sighed and shook his head. He would fall for the only boy in the school who could pass Muggle Studies without so much as a sceptical glance at an electric toothbrush. He grimaced, remembering what he'd tried to do with it.

Remus glanced at him, looking amused. "What?"

"Oh nothin'," Sirius said, waving it away.

"Styling it out isn't going to work, Pads."

"Fine," Sirius scowled. "I was wondering how I got stuck with the Muggle Studies geek."

Remus' smile twisted into a smirk. "No you weren't, you were remembering that time I presented you with an electric toothbrush." The smirk was a fully fledged grin now. "I've never seen one so inventively used."

Sirius glared at him. "Shut it you. I'm not the only one who's done embarrassing things with household appliances."

Remus turned suitably pink. Sirius grinned triumphantly. "I mean, I know you were tryin' to prove a point, Remmy, but poor Lovegood. I imagine he went home an' scooped his besmirched little eyes out."

Remus kicked him. "You promised me you'd drop that," he said.

Sirius grinned winningly at him. "I've promised you a lot of things, Lupin. What I want to know is," he leant across the table and licked his lips enticingly. "What you're gonna promise me in return?"

Remus snuck a glanced at the absorbed Muggles and then smirked back at Sirius. "Buy me another drink, Mister Black, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed."


End file.
